it all started with a cupcake

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Ok, grilled cheese is one of those comfort foods that despite my best efforts to make healthy, I fail. Always looking for more decadent cheeses, more flavor combinations to add in and just more of the gooey awesomeness that is melted cheese. This time I had some leftover gruyere that I knew would be perfect with turkey. It needed some balance and tomatoes provide just the right acid to cut through the rich cheese. The result? Amazing. Seriously, it was very good and so simple. By lightly brushing the bread with olive oil before grilling instead of using butter, it makes this as healthy as grilled cheese can be modified to be when using decadent cheeses.

Like this:

Going to a friends for dinner I offered to bring a dessert. The need to bake something different was calling me and this recipe was something I have wanted to do for a while now. The snow is melting and spring is so close women are starting to break out the skirts and flipflops. We are in Minnesota, and as soon as the tempature is above 40°F to us locals that is spring weather.

Today spring comes in the form of a Lemon Chiffon Cake. This cake is so light and soft, sweet yet sour, and the smell coming from the kitchen while it bakes just makes you think of spring. Fresh lemons with that tangy citrus smell wafting through the apartment and the building made this hard to resist till dinner tonight. The glaze is sweet but not overpowering and is the just the perfect accompaniment to this cake. you may be tempted to not add it, but you will be hard pressed to find another to complement the cake so well.

Lemon Chiffon Cake

2 c Cake Flour, sifted

1 1/2 c Sugar

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 c Vegetable Oil

8 eggs, separated

Juice of two large Lemons

1/4 c Water

Zest of two large Lemons

1/2 tsp. Cream of Tarter

Mascarpone Lemon Glaze

6 tbsp. Mascarpone Cheese, softened

2 c Frosting Sugar

Zest of half a Lemon

Juice of Half a Lemon

1 tbsp. Milk

Preheat oven to 325°F. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into large bowl whisk to combine. Whisk vegetable oil, egg yolks, lemon juice, water and lemon peel into flour mixture. Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl of a stand mixer. Using clean dry beaters, beat until stiff but not dry. It should still look moist but have very stiff peaks. Fold 1/4 of whites into batter to lighten. Gently fold in remaining whites.

Pour cake batter into ungreased 10-inch-diameter tube pan. Tap pan on counter or run rubber spatula through cake batter to release air pockets. Bake cake until springy to touch, about 60 minutes. Immediately invert cake in pan over neck of bottle. Cool cake completely. Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Transfer to a cake plate, and drizzle with the glaze.

To make the Glaze:

Whisk the cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, and milk until well combined and thick. Slowly 1/2 cup at a time add the frosting sugar. If it is too thick thin out with additional milk. Only add 1 tsp. of milk at a time. When at desired consistency drizzle over the cooled cake.
Adapted: Epicurious.com